The following is an interview with Champion Forest member, Luzma Bedoya.
How would you describe Christmas Spectacular to someone who’s never seen the show?
The show has popular and modern Christmas elements that everybody knows, like Santa and Mrs. Claus, but it also presents the real meaning of Christmas. It is not just an entertainment type of show. It has a powerful message that can change people’s lives. I can say that because it changed mine!
When did you first attend Christmas Spectacular, and who invited you?
I first attended the show in December of 2016. I was taking an English class at Lonestar College, and one of my classmates asked if I wanted to go to the show. She was unable to use her ticket because of a scheduling conflict. I was like, yeah, why not? I didn’t expect it to be such a good show. Now, this classmate is one of the participants in the Bible study that I teach each week. How cool is that?
What was most surprising to you about the show?
I didn’t expect it to bring me to tears. I loved God and had loved him since I was a kid, but there was something different about how the show represented Jesus. It was so transparent, so real. I remember thinking, “Wow, I want to have that kind of love for Jesus.” I also thought the actors, dancers, and vocalists were paid and never expected that they would be volunteers. They do the show because they love Jesus, which surprised me in a good way.
As you left the show, what was going through your mind?
I remember thinking, “I go to another church. I don’t belong here.” But the more I thought about that question, the more I wondered if I could belong there. I was attending a Catholic church but wanted to be a part of a show like that. I wanted to be a part of a church like that. I wanted to experience that kind of love for Jesus and the feelings I felt as I watched the Christmas show. I continued processing these questions and feelings for an entire year before making Champion Forest my faith family.
How and when did you decide to attend Champion Forest?
When I first saw the show, I brought my mom, a friend, and his son. My friend encouraged me to fill out a guest card to learn more about the church. I said to him, “I don’t belong here. I’m not Baptist,” but he said, “I just watched you cry through this entire show. There’s something here for you.”
My husband could not go to the show with us that night because he was traveling, but once he got home, I asked him if he would attend a Sunday service with me. He said, “Sure, why not?” Immediately after that service, he said, “Yeah, I want to go to this church instead.” I was hesitant because I was a part of the choir at our Catholic church, and I had a community there. We decided to think and pray about the decision, but he wanted to learn more about Champion Forest and their love for Jesus, too.
For a while, we attended both churches. We would attend a service at Champion Forest and mass every week. My husband was the first to decide that he wanted to take the leap and join Champion Forest. It wasn’t until Ash Wednesday that I realized I was ready to join Champion Forest.
Choir Practices at Champion Forest are on Wednesdays, and I had joined the choir a few months prior. I was afraid that the cross on my forehead, symbolizing my participation in Ash Wednesday, would make Champion Forest choir members uncomfortable. So, I called the choir director and asked him if it was ok that I attend choir with the cross on my forehead. He invited me to meet with him in his office before choir rehearsal that day. He asked me to share my story, so I told him that I was a Catholic person and had been attending Champion Forest and mass at my Catholic church every week. After I finished telling him my story, he thanked me for showing up, even with the cross on my forehead. He told me that it was extraordinary that I was so committed to my relationship with God and that I would always be welcome at Champion Forest. He even said, “If anyone in choir rehearsal disrespects you or makes you feel unwelcome because of the cross on your forehead, come tell me.” I was welcomed with open arms, and that’s what eventually led me to attend Champion Forest and make this church my faith family.
How did your relationship with God change in February 2017?
I can confidently say that it was in February 2017 that I truly started following Christ. I actually accepted Christ at a Spanish Women’s event that February, but Christmas Spectacular will always be a milestone in my life. It was during that first show that I realized I could have a personal, intimate relationship with Christ. That’s why I cried so much during the show. Before this moment, I loved God, but I didn’t have the same intimate love for Jesus that I have now. I know him differently and talk to him all the time now.
Almost seven years later, I have so much joy because of my relationship with Christ. I love him, and I love serving him. I have found a rich community—a family!—at Champion Forest. I’m so involved at Champion Forest now, too. I work in the Missions office at the church, lead a Life Group with my husband, sing in the choir, and am on the praise team. I’ve had a role in Christmas Spectacular every year since 2017. Two years after I accepted Christ, I also started a Bible study group that meets once a week. During Covid, we started meeting over Zoom and friends from all over Houston, the United States, and even Colombia started joining the Bible Study. We started with about ten girls, and now, there are about 50 girls who participate in the study.
Do you have a role in Christmas Spectacular this year?
Yes! This year, I will be a businesswoman on the streets of New York City, and I am a part of the gold entourage that brings a gift filled with gold to baby Jesus. The show is amazing, and I love how God transforms lives every year, just as he did with me.
Sharing your story is a powerful way to encourage others. Our team would love to hear from you at stories@cfbc.org.
